SPEC Headlines, August 31, 2003

English  population at Gaspe Cegep  remains stable
Charlene Eden
   
Students are once again roaming the halls of the Gaspe Campus of the Cegep
de la Gaspesie et des Iles, as both the English and French sectors of the
Cegep have started their fall semester.  The English section has not seen an
increase in students this year, but it has also not seen a decline.
According to Stephen Tribble, Associate Director/Academic Advisor, for the
English section, the number of students registered on the English side is
comparable to last year.  ³For the English section, the numbers are almost
identical to last year.  We also have Francophone students on the English
side. We probably have 20 taking at least one or two courses on the English
side, over and above the 120 or so that we have registered on the English
side.  It is just incredible how identical the numbers are between this year
and last year.  We are managing to keep our numbers, while the French
section has lost 500 students in the last ten years,² he said.
While overall student numbers are holding steady, certain programs are
seeing more student influx than others.  Thus, Mr. Tribble stresses that
more promotion is needed for certain programs.  ³The numbers are up in terms
of the number of students in Natural Science and Social Science.  We have
more students in forestry than the French sector.  There are a few less in
the technical programs, but we¹re going to be a little more aggressive in
the recruitment for those programs this year,² he said.

More than 200 Gaspesians take part in Belledune demonstration
They oppose  Bennett Environmental's incinerator project

Gilles Gagné
    BELLEDUNE - About 200 Gaspesians and 100 New Brunswickers took part on
August 21 in a demonstration against Bennett Environmental's incinerator
project in Belledune. These opponents claim that the "thermal oxidizer"
cannot safely burn  contaminated soils that would be brought to the Northern
New Brunswick industrial village from a former US Army base located in New
Jersey.
    The leaders of the Gaspesian coalition 'Return to Sender', who are
against the principle of importing toxic waste from the United States,
rented three buses to get them to  the demonstration. Many Gaspesians and
New Brunswickers joined them after driving to Belledune Elementary School on
their own.
    "Gaspesians were neither informed nor consulted over Bennett's project.
We ask for true public hearings to be held in the Gaspé", stated Michel
Goudreau, from Cross Point, president of Environnement Vert Plus, an
ecological group that is taking part in the coalition's activities.

Thousands  expected at  Bluegrass Festival in New Richmond
Gilles Gagné

NEW RICHMOND - Thousands of people are expected Friday, Saturday and Sunday
at the Traditional Days Bluegrass Festival, on the site of the Gaspesian
British Heritage Village in New Richmond.

In fact, four days before the event, 12 big campers were already installed
on the  site, explained Walter Willett, the Director General of the Village.

"Honestly, we don't know what to expect, as far as the number of visitors is
concerned. It is a Première. Our camp ground can accommodate up to 1,000.
Good weather would also help us", explained Mr. Willett.

The Village will be open until 9:00pm every night until Sunday in order to
welcome campers, adds Mr. Willett. "It is rough camping, there is no
electricity, but we do provide water. For the sewage, we have a partnership
with Camping New Richmond (the new camp ground besides the Cascapedia River)
and there is a dumping service at $10.00 a shot. Of that amount, $2.00 will
go to charity, the New Richmond Rotary Club. The Town of New Richmond will
also provide water on site over the weekend, with a big tank", explained
Walter Willett.